A man (38) who engaged in indecent acts with a 13-year-old middle-schooler in a department store toilet, for the bargain price of ¥3,000, has been arrested.

He is said to have promised the girl the ¥3,000, though we do not hear just what level of service he received; whatever it was, it was enough to get him arrested on child prostitution charges, Mainichi reports.

This comes soon after a similar case in which a banker was caught out procuring another 13-year-old for a paltry ¥5,000, again in Hokkaido. At least they appear to have got the age of their partners right.

This latest case raises some interesting questions; in between lamenting the high prices of their local regions, 2channers are quick to point out that “even in Hokkaido” ¥3,000 is unrealistically inexpensive price, with girls engaged in enjo kousai presumably knowing the value of their wares, and that the man is said to have promised to pay the cash, but whether he actually paid up is not clear.

Clearly, there are a variety of possibilities aside from the obvious one, with it being possible the girl is hanging him out to dry for not paying her, or even that he has been caught out in some kind of blackmail (similar extortion rackets targeting men are well known in Japan).

Still, ¥3,000 threatens to knock the bottom out of the market… Maybe Hokkaido is looking to become the new Vietnam?

Damn gotta give it to Japan ! they prolly say that they arrest these guys, chuck em in the over-night cell nd release them the next day.... cus they obviosly don't find the lolitution that bad if they don't do any thing to the wee loli's and blindly say their soo innocent they don't know what their doing.

WHOAH WHOAH WHOAH! $30? SHE COULD GET LIKE... idk how much prostitution goes for these days. She could get a lot more. And they do it in a Department store bathroom. Kids arent very good with sex related issues.

The "national" age of consent in Japan is 13, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender, as specified by the Japanese Penal Code Articles 176 and 177.[6] However, "prefectures" can have local ordinances that prohibit sexual activities with minors under 18.

Unfortunately, I can name several western countries (I live in one of them) which not only have child prostitution cases similar to that, but also it happens on a daily basis, and it costs even less.

Not that I agree with those... it's on the news almost every month.

And unfortunately, pretty much as everything else, instead of the government taking direct action by improving police and enforcing laws, they only legislate stupid shit to make people believe they are "doing something about it".